In the nearby town of Dross, six teenagers disappeared on the same night. Distressed parents told the police that their children left the house on August 14th and didn't return. Margaret Algiers, Leona Derby, Benjamin McGoolen, Evie Naman, Carla Still, and Harry Winstock were lasted spotted near the Dross Manor, according to several witnesses. Currently there is an estimated group of 70 townsfolk guarding the mansion from any who wish to enter, including the case investigators. "It's a real hassle," says detective Jonathan Hartley, "This place is so far out of the way that we have to wait a whole week for backup." Any information on the whereabouts of these six individuals can be reported to the Dross sheriff at 2XX-XXX-XXX.

Vanora Nadeau - 27played by Lady Knight
Main character
In charge of securing the perimeter searched by the team,
Vanora takes her work seriously with some degree of
pessimism mingled in her cold professionalism.

Keiran Carnesi - 25played by growl
Main character
As the team's photographer, Keiran... doesn't seem to take
his role as seriously as he should. He's fearless and has
yet to show any hesitation getting up close for a good shot.

Phoenix Carnesi - 22played by growl
Pheonix is a nurse, and investigating the supernatural is a
just a hobby. He and his brother are the team's main
researchers, and he acts as doctor in case someone gets hurt.

Ralph Harper - 22played by Lady Knight
The team's occult specialist, he is a lover of horror and
mysteries, and will gladly hold sessions and rituals to
bring forth the resident ghosts... at a price.

Lillie Barnes - 20played by Lady Knight
A rising star in investigative journalism, Lillie decided to
take the risk of a darker and more dangerous subject to
bring her popularity with the masses to a whole new level.
She is a sweet and caring girl, if a little ditzy and vain.

Leona Noletto - 18played by growl
Leona is the youngest and the newest member of the team.
You could call her the team's skeptical notetaker-- even after
encountering real ghosts, she's practical and grounded.​

Within these documents are the initial report given to me by my scouting team after their overnight stakeout of the Dross Manor. All passed their mental and substance control and have a clear professional and personal record, making their claim plausible, if not truly believable. My own comments will be added to their report, but further investigation before the infiltration of the scene is heavily encouraged.

Dross Manor Outskirts - Initial Report​

​

My team has calculated that the safe perimeter for the compromised area stands at approximately two hundred (200) meters from the main building, with various pockets of non-patrolled covers spread over the entirety of the property. The villagers seems to have organised in two main patrols along with the assistance of less organized yet still problematic sentries along the higher grounds provided by various hills and resting spots upon the manor's grounds themselves.​

​

We estimate the patrols to count over fifty (50) villagers, with both separate patrols surrounding the manor itself with the initial patrol securing the outermost perimeter and the secondary patrol standing guard over the manor house's wall itself. Furthermore, our scouting efforts have uncovered a variety of cameras and motion sensors along the main roads leading to the residence, their existence along with the barricades over the house's doors and windows will make entry difficult, but not impossible.​

​

Team Alpha awaiting further orders,​

Signing out.​

​

It seems a second scouting report will be necessary for pinpointing the weak points of the manor's defense, along with the best route to take into what may be a dangerous and unstable area. As such, I am requesting a meeting with all concerned at the town's less known tavern, The Wretched Rascal, to plan our next step of action. A further report should be available on the 21st of August but will contain quickly changing information. I thus request we meet as soon as possible.

V

----------------------------------------
​

August 21st20:00

It was starting to get quite late as a tall woman silently made her way through the mostly empty streets of Dross that night. The wind was blowing the summer air out of the town as it brought the cold sea's breeze along with it, prompting the brown-haired female to close her leather jacket tighter against her athletic frame, callused fingers trying to ward off the cold as they rubbed against finger-less gloves. The streets were dimly lit, the glare of the street lights dimmed by grime and age showing neglect and perhaps a recent economic crisis having taken over the small, out of the way town. The previous stir in the medias concerning the disappearance of six teenagers in a single night had made the townspeople wary of strangers, and it was with all the stealth she possessed that the freelancer skulked her way out of the brighter main street and into the nearly pitch black alleys leading to her first destination of the night. The Wretched Rascal was a shady establishment, to be sure, yet as she had made her search of a suitably anonymous meeting place three days ago, Vanora found the dirty watering hole to be best suited for her purpose.

Pushing the shoddily crafted door with a strong enough push to prevail over the overabundance of rust she could see on the pitiful piece of peeling wood's hinges, Vanora made her way inside the smoky and dirty tavern for the second time that week, dropping enough coins to keep anyone's mouth shut on the booze-stained bar's counter before making her way to an out of the way booth that would be big enough to hold all of her associates, yet small enough to not attract undue attention from any nosy drunkard. Making herself as comfortable as the cheap bench she sat on allowed, the freelancer gestured for a pint of ale to be brought to her and retrieved her latest report from the inner pocket of her dark jacket. Taking her drink with her right hand and taking a sip of the sub-par brew, Vanora started the long wait for her companions, her sharp gaze set upon the report in her grasp.

As it happened, the second investigator to arrive was one Lillie Barnes, the young journalist nervously making her way towards the booth specified in the email she received a day ago and sat down meekly opposite her fellow female. Taking notice of the pint on the table, she quietly ordered her own glass of white wine, feeling her perfectly manicured hands become clammy from nerve as she grasped the stained wine glass in a tight grip and took a big gulp of the bitter liquid to steady her nerve, grimacing at the near vinegar-like taste in the process.

She could only hope she would not come to regret answering that ad for an occult investigating team...

xxxxPheonix Carnesi reread the report from Vanora while his brother made over-exaggerated comments about everything. "Oh look, a family bakery-- and they live above it! How charming!" Keiran exclaimed, knocking on the glass storefront and waving at a startled customer. Pheonix tched and grabbed the hood of Keiran's sweatshirt, dragging him away from the establishment.xxxx"You're attracting too much attention to us," he snapped. The black-haired brothers had been the target of some staring since they had arrived at the under-the-radar town. Phoenix suspected the locals were on their guard, what with the disappearances and the patrols around Dross Manor, and new faces in an otherwise monotonous community didn't help their nerves. Keiran had calmed down since that morning, but he was still strolling down the walk with an air of confidence that Pheonix himself did not feel.xxxx"I can't believe so many people agreed to do this with us. We're so popular!" Keiran said, his yellow eyes flashing.xxxxPheonix allowed himself a terse laugh. "We're not in college anymore, Keiry."xxxx"But still. Four people are crazy enough to go ghost hunting with us. It's like we're little kids exploring grandma's attic or something. Like that show, what'sitcalled..."xxxxAs Keiran continued running his mouth, Phoenix pursed his lips. "Little kids exploring grandma's attic" wasn't how he would phrase this mission, but his brother had always been an immature one. Sometimes Pheonix couldn't tell who was playing the part of big bro. Maybe it wasn't Keiran who was childish, but Pheonix who was too task-oriented and serious.xxxx"Four people is quite impressive," he admitted. Tonight would be the first time the whole group gathered. He was anxious; what if an argument sparked? Did everyone actually know what they were getting into? The only person whose participation he felt like he could count on, aside from his brother, was Vanora's. The woman had really taken over the operation after signing up, and Pheonix had allowed her to (against Keiran's wish to remain "in charge"). He was sure Vanora would be able to handle the operations before the actual investigation better than his brother or himself, for that matter.xxxx"This way, Pheonix." An echoing voice broke him out of his thoughts. It was Keiran, hands shoved in his pockets as he paused in a dim side street and looked over his shoulder at the other. Pheonix hurried after him. "That was your nervous face," Keiran mused. "Are you that worried about this meet-up?"xxxxKeiran wasn't nervous. Far from it, he was excited. He regretted testing his brother's patience with his energy, but Pheonix was overthinking things. While he had been at their hotel corresponding with Vanora, Keiran had scouted the town in search of The Wretched Rascal. He'd felt like such a city slicker as he explored the few sights the place had to offer. Dross Manor was the easiest place to find; all one had to do was look up. It dominated a nearby hill, its deteriorating exterior dark and imposing against the skyline. The Wretched Rascal was more elusive. It had taken Keiran over an hour of aimless wandering for him to stumble across the shady bar. He trusted landmarks he had noted to lead him there now. A line of flickering lightbulbs, certain brightly colored clothes pinned to clotheslines, and a pair of overturned trashcans later, they were standing in front of a two story shack with a sagging roof. Phoenix gave him an inquisitive look, and Keiran pointed a crooked sign above the establishment that read The Wretched Rascal in peeling paint letters. At the same time, a girl stopped in front of the bar. Keiran assessed her out of curiosity. She was wearing a blazer and a short pleated skirt. Her hair was swept up on top of her head in a neat bun. She looked too clean-cut to be a regular at this dump. Phoenix followed Keiran's gaze and gasped.xxxx"Leona Noletto?" he blurted. The girl jumped and turned to face them.xxxx"Yes?..." she trailed off uncertainly. And then understanding dawned on her. "Mr. Carnesi?" She looked at Keiran. "And, um, Mr. Carnesi?" Kieran nodded in response.xxxx"Let's go inside," he said. No need to keep the others waiting. He shoved the door open, and the three filed in. He scanned the bar's occupants. His eyes landed on two women sitting in a booth tucked into a corner as they walked towards the back.xxxx"Miss Nadeau and Miss Barnes." Pheonix slid into the seat next to the younger blonde, and the girl sat next to him, leaving Keiran to sit next to the woman with the sober green eyes. "I'm Pheonix Carnesi, and that's my brother, Keiran." Pheonix motioned at him. "Where's Mr. Harper?"xxxxAh, the 'occult specialist' Pheonix had mentioned. Just from that title, Keiran was inclined to label the guy as a fake, but he shouldn't jump to conclusions. If Pheonix had let him come along for the ride then he had to be credible, right? He raised his arm for an ale while Pheonix began talking up the blonde about her career in journalism or whatever. Feeling rather thirsty, Keiran was glad when the ale came quickly. He downed a few gulps before setting it down with a twist of his lips. The ale wasn't as crummy as the building, but it still wasn't the best.

About Us

Iwaku is an online roleplaying community. We don't just write stories; we live them! Roleplay is about stepping into the life of a character and experiencing what they experience. Here on Iwaku, we're all about giving you the freedom to write anything you want while providing a safe and friendly community in which to do so. Our site promotes forum roleplay, chat roleplay, group roleplay, private roleplay, and other methods for bringing your stories to life.

Quick Navigation

Useful Links

Support Iwaku

We are a community run by REAL PEOPLE! We are not a corporation or a company. Our server, domain, and software licenses are privately owned and paid for 100% out of our own pockets. To help pay for these monthly costs, we are more than happy to take donations from members in exchange for super spiffy extra tools and features on the boards. For more information you can view our Donating FAQs.